MRF Racing

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MRF Racing is an Indian racing team that competes in car racing and rallies.

Contents

Formula Racing

MRF built is first Formula 3 car in 1997. [1] MRF in collaboration with Maruti established the Formula Maruti racing, a single-seater, open wheel class motorsport racing event for race cars made in India. [2] MRF Challenge is an open-wheel motorsport formula based series organized by Madras Motor Sports Club in association with MRF. The latest season consisted of races organized at Madras Motor Racing Track, Chennai, Bahrain International Circuit, Losail International Circuit, Doha and Buddh International Circuit, Noida. Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 Formula One champion James Hunt, Mathias Lauda, son of 1975, 1977 and 1984 Formula One champion Niki Lauda and Mick Schumacher, son of seven time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher competed in the series. [3] MRF has sponsored Indian racing drivers including Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandok, Ashwin Sundar, N. Leelakrishnan and Raj Bharath.[ citation needed ]

Rallying

MRF have also been a long-running sponsor of MRF rally team participating in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and Indian National Rally Championship. Associating with Czech car manufacturer Škoda, MRF Skoda is the three time reigning champion in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with Chris Atkinson winning in 2012, Gaurav Gill in 2013 and Jan Kopecký in 2014. [4] MRF also participates in Raid De Himalaya, the world's highest rally. [5] The Indian National Rally Championship Overall winners (2022) Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai also drive in the MRF colours. [6]

Others

MRF promotes a national motocross championship, a form of all-terrain two wheeler racing held on enclosed off-road circuits annually across several cities. MRF sponsors major karting championships in India. MRF is the first Indian tyre company to develop FIA approved karting tyres. [1]

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Akbar Ebrahim is an accomplished Indian motorsports driver. He is the first Indian to take part in an international race when he participated in the Formula 2 Britain. He is currently the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India from September 2020. Ebrahim is also the head oif the international Karting Commission, the CIK of FIA.

Arjun Balu is an Indian motorsports driver. After starting as a road racing driver in 1992, he took part in the Indian National Rally Championship for 17 years. He won 11 Championships, all in road racing and is currently racing in the Indian Touring Car (ITC) class in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023. He is the reigning National champion in the ITC class (2022).

References

  1. 1 2 "MRF Sports".
  2. "About MRF". NDTV. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. Simmons, Marcus (15 July 2014). "The sons of James Hunt and Niki Lauda to race in MRF series". Autosport . Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  4. "Kopecky wins WRC for MRF". rally.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. "Raid de Himalaya 2009 from October 5, 2009". North India Times. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  6. Track, Auto (7 December 2022). "Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai clinch maiden Karnataka-1000 Rally title". Auto Track. Retrieved 19 April 2023.